A Father's Blessing
by so-romantical
Summary: Sean wants to ask for Mike Heck's blessing to marry Sue.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello friends! This is my first attempt writing a fic for The Middle fandom. It has been so much fun seeing so many new Sean and Sue fics lately. Hoping to see Sue Heck spinoff.**

"Mr. Heck. I love your daughter and the life we are building together, and I want your blessing to ask for her hand in marriage…" Sean cringed as he rehearsed the words he desperately wanted to ask his girlfriend's dad when he was all by himself in the staff lounge of the St. Matthews Hospital ER.

None of the words he practiced felt right. Part of him thinks the tradition of asking a father for permission to propose is a cheesy, condescending, and even barbaric. But he is a Donahue and Donahue's always follow tradition. He also knew Sue loved all things cheesy and traditional. He could picture her eyes welling up as he recounted the story about how he was terrified to ask her dad's permission to their future children.

At one time Sean felt like he formed a bond of mutual respect with Mike Heck and even thought of him a second dad. Since Sean returned from Ghana and started dating Sue he found himself at the end of his angry stares a few times. Most notably during the neighborhood block party in the summertime when Sue was wearing scarf to hide a hickey and the day Sue announced that she would be moving in with Sean. Sean carefully took in Mike's response to this announcement and saw his eyes widen in shock and dart to his daughter's finger to see it bare. He saw the older man take in a half a breath of relief before tightening his jaw. Since that moment Sean was uncertain about where he stood with Mike Heck.

Today, Sean is in his final year of medical school and will be starting the process of interviewing for internships soon. Some hospitals are nearby, and others are a several states away. He knows made it this far through medical school without Suzy Q's love and support. Instead of dinners by candlelight they had greasy pizza as she helped him by prepping quizzing him with flashcards. She has absolutely no poker face. He can tell when she is trying to fight an enthusiastic grin by biting on her lower lip to suppress a smile when she gets a flashcard about a specialty that was one of his strengths and the cautious smile of encouragement when she delivers a question in a specialty he struggles with.

Sue's career is thriving. She is currently working at the Chandler Inn. She started in Guest Services and spent most of her day at the front desk at the hotel. Recently the hotel created a new position for her where she oversees special events. Sue makes sure events like corporate conferences and weddings go smoothly. She always makes her guests dreams her own. During her senior year of college Sue participated in the Disney College Program along with Brad. She worked at hotels in Disney World and attended classes. Sue made tons of new friends and flourished in the program. She was even encouraged to continue her career with Disney but decided she wanted to go home to Indiana to be with her family and Sean.

Sean's thoughts were interrupted by Nurse Jan walking in with Sue in tow. Sue was wearing a new knee length floral dress she bought from Ross after she got her promotion. She needed to be able to be along with a pair of shearling slippers while carrying a large bright green bag and coffee traveler. Nurse Jan was the former nurse manager at the St. Matthews ER. She resigned a few years ago from her management position at the hospital to spend more time with her family. Even though she retired with a full pension and benefits but still regularly worked a few shifts a week. She took Sean under her wing and showed him the ropes in the ER and gave her the scoop about the other departments in the hospital.

"You got a good girl here, Sean. Not only does she bring you a meal, but she brings amazing coffee and pastries for the rest of the staff. At 1am and everything." Nurse Jan compliments puts an arm around Sue in a half hug.

"I know I am a lucky guy Jan. Suzy-Q is an amazing girl." Sean beams with pride giving Sue a kiss on the cheek then helping Sue unload the boxes of pastries for the late-night staff in the ER. Sue's face blushes at the compliments as she pulls a Tupperware container out of the bright green bag and pops it in to the microwave to reheat it as Sean helps himself to a cup of coffee to power him through the final 4 hours of his shift.

"Thanks Jan. It really is no trouble. The executive chef at the Inn adores Sean especially after he stopped by her house after his shift a few months ago to help her little one with the croup." Sue remarks because she doesn't want to take credit for Chef Julia's work.

"Oh, my goodness I nearly forgot to ask. Do you kids have anything planned on tomorrow? I noticed Sean isn't on the schedule and my husband and I can't use our season tickets for the Colts game. We would love if you could use them." Nurse Jan asked grabbed a cup of the French roast from the coffee traveler.

Sue frowns, "That is so nice, but I promised I would watch The Bachelor with my mom. It's the final rose ceremony and it is her version of the Super Bowl. Sean, how about you take your dad?"

Sean smiles one of the biggest obstacles to asking for Mike's permission was getting him alone. Part of him wanted to get both Mike and Frankie's blessing but he knew Frankie would spill the beans to Sue before he would get the chance to propose himself. "Do you think your dad would want to join me, Suzy-Q?"

Sue's face lit up at the idea of her two favorite men would be spending time together. "Are you kidding?! It's a Colts game, my dad would love it! Just let him know I gave up my seat so he could go and bring me home some cotton candy!"

Nurse Jan smiled at the couple as she grabbed a blueberry scone to go with her coffee, "Well, I will leave you kids alone. I will print out the tickets for you and put them in your mailbox. Have fun and don't forget to get your lady cotton candy!"

The microwave beeps, and Sue hops up and fetches the Tupperware along with a fork.

"What was for dinner tonight?" Sean asked rubbing his hands together knowing he was getting the daily special from the Inn restaurant.

"Beef Bourguignon, Chef Julia's specialty," she announces.

"How is it?" Sue asks as Sean takes his first bite. It is amazing, and the first bite practically melts in his mouth.

He makes an exaggerated look of disgust and says, "Your hamburger helper is so much better."

Sue blushes knowing her boyfriend is lying and snuggles into him on the couch in the staff lounge.

"I need to take a picture of us, so my helicopter mom will know you are at taking care of me," Sean admits with as he kisses Sue on the forehead and fishes his phone out the pocket of his green scrubs and took a selfie of him and Sue with his gourmet dinner prominently featured.

Most of the time Sue loved Nancy Donahue. Last year when Nancy stopped by their apartment to check in on them after they moved in together. Nancy seem pleased with how the couple made the tiny apartment a home but both Sue and Sean couldn't miss how Nancy's pursed her lips in disapproval when she saw freezer filled with Stouffer's and Marie Callender's frozen meals and a cabinet filled with boxes of Hamburger Helper, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and cans of Campbell's soup. Even the ever-optimistic Sue couldn't help but feel the sting of Nancy's judgement.

Sue was an insecure mess until Sean reminded her that she had been working just as many if not more hours as he was, and cooking was both their responsibility. Eventually they both enlisted Nancy's help to her delight. Sean asked for help about what gadgets to buy and Sue asked for her to keep her eyes peeled for easy meals for two on Pinterest. Sue and Nancy even bonded when they spent two days together prepared homemade meals that could be kept in the freezer and served later and knew to make a few extra for Mike and Frankie Heck.

Sean opens the Instagram app on his phone and post the picture with the caption: "Late night dinner courtesy of SueHeckWins. #beefbourguignon #luckyguy #ilovemysuzyq". Sean grins at the picture he took of them. Sue is looking up at him and smiling genuinely and showing her teeth. All those years of wearing braces, retainers, and headgear paid off.

"How did the wedding go?" Sean asks. Even though they share a home and a bed these 1am dates in the hospital are usually their best sources of quality time. Most of their communication was via exchanging encouraging words via post-it notes on the coffee pot or the bathroom mirror or having semi-conscious conversations when one of them climbs into bed while the other is sleeping.

Sue frowns and confesses, "I had to get mean with the linens company. They were insanely late on delivering our table cloths and napkins we were scrambling to make sure all the tables were ready for the reception. I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off all day, but everyone seemed happy by the end of the night. Fifteen hours in heels as brutal though thank goodness my parents got me these last Christmas," Sue points to the well-worn slippers as she puts her feet on the coffee table in the alongside Sean's Nikes.

"Well that's all that is important is your guest ended up happy and that linens company knew not to mess with you again." Sean frowned remembering when the same company shorted the Inn on their order. He planned a date with Sue at the zoo with a picnic lunch. Sue wanted to stop in to make sure one her guests for a wedding was properly welcomed. Sue learned the linen's delivery was delayed she couldn't leave her co-workers in a bind so and they spent the day in the Inn's tiny laundry room washing and folding towels, sheets, and table cloths.

Sue continued to tell Sean about her day as he scarfed his dinner, "… Anyway, the cousin finally sobered up enough to be able to return to the reception and caught the bouquet," Sue finishes her story with a yawn.

"On that note you should be making it home soon. You're exhausted the bars will be closing soon, and I don't want you shouldn't be on the road with a bunch of drunks," he said glancing at the clock and pulling her up from her comfy spot on the couch.

"Text me so I know I you made it home okay," Sean reminds as they walk to the car.

Sue climbed into the driver's seat and turned on the engine, "I will, I promise. Wake me up when you get home? I sleep better."

"I will," Sean promises as he leans in and give Sue a quick kiss on her forehead before rushing back to the ER to get a rundown of his incoming patient.

An hour and 4 patients later Sean was finally able to peek at his phone. He relieved to see he had a picture message from Sue. She took a of her reflection in their bathroom mirror while she was brushing her teeth. Her face was freshly scrubbed and free of make-up and her hair was up in a sloppy bun. She had a toothbrush hanging from her smiling mouth. Along with the picture message came a text. "I kept my end of the deal. Don't forget to wake me up when you come home! Please bring the blue bag home. I forgot it. It is bright green and I think I left it on the table with in the staff lounge," Sue ended her text with a kiss face emoji.

He looked at the picture wistfully. He loved working in the ER but hated the crazy hours. He treasured nights where he could get ready for bed alongside Sue and the mornings they could wake up together.

It was finally the end of his shift and he finished writing up the discharge notes for the resident overseeing him to review a and sign off on for the patients they treated towards the end of his shift and updated treatment notes. He stopped by his mailbox at the end of his shift and in the middle of the pile of paperwork he found an envelope with the Colt's tickets Nurse Jan as promised along with a note from her, "I overheard you rehearsing your conversation with Sue's dad earlier. Just be yourself and you will find the right words when you talk to him. Any man would be lucky to have you as a son-in-law. Good luck and don't forget to invite me to the wedding."

The ball of anxiety in Sean's stomach started to settle after reading the note. Being true to himself was the same advice Sue has been giving him for years.

Sean tiptoed into the little apartment and dropped the green "blue bag" the kitchen counter next to the rolls of quarters he and Sue used at the apartment building laundry room. Sue did such an amazing job making their apartment a home using hand-me-downs from both the Heck and Donahue homes, a fresh coat of paint, and a few good finds from OfferUp, Target, and T.J. Maxx. He felt more at home surrounded by mis-matched scratch and dent furniture than the pristine house he grew up in.

He glanced at the mantel above the fireplace in the living room that contained a framed photo of them when they proclaimed their love for each other along on the side of the road at mile marker 16. The mantel also displayed the broken snow globe that finally brought them together along with the snow globe's they gifted each other with each Christmas since they became a couple.

After washing the off the gross parts of his day in the shower he creeped quietly into the dark bedroom with a towel wrapped his waist.

"Didn't I ask you to wake me as soon as you got home?" Sue mumbles as Sean pulls on his boxers and tee shirt.

Sean settles into bed next to Sue and spoons her from behind. His warm hands found her bare stomach under the Notre Dame t-shirt she was wearing. The shirt was his favorite, but he hasn't worn it in ages because Sue claimed it as her own.

"I didn't want to wake you when I was smelling like vomit, blood, and hospital disinfectant," he explains.

She rolls her sleepy eyes and rolls over to face him, "You are such a Donahue…" she stops and breathes in his familiar clean scent; Irish Spring soap mingled with the minty scent of his toothpaste then gives him a peck on the lips and continues, "but I appreciate your thoughtfulness."

Sue snuggles closer to him. She is still sleepy but unable to resist running her hands over his clothed chest and savoring the closeness. She was tempted to caress the skin under his shirt, but she knew they both were way too exhausted for anything more than snuggling.

Her boyfriend just as exhausted but slightly more alert. He brushed Sue's hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. He couldn't resist leaving some soft kisses on her neck and cheek and whispered, "I love you Suzy-Q, go back to sleep. Will you wake me up in the morning? I want to call your dad and invite him to the game?"

Sue rolls back to her back and yawns, "I texted him when I got home earlier. He called me and seems excited about it. He wants to buy you a drink."

Sean furrowed his brows and frowned, "Was he mad that you texted him so late?"

"No, I've texted him every night since I fell asleep when my phone was dead sophomore year. Dad woke me up pounding on my door at 3am. He gave me the biggest hug ever and then yelled at me for making him worry," she mumbles with a yawn.

Sue leans against Sean and continues, "It was actually the sweetest thing. He told me he heard sirens and that is the worst sound in the world when don't know if you know someone you love is safe."

Suddenly the ball of anxiety in Sean's gut returned. He isn't the only person in his relationship with a helicopter parent. But he doubted he would get into Mike Heck's good graces by making freezer jam or bonding over Pinterest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello Friends! Sorry for the delay on getting this next chapter out. Thank you for the kind reviews.**

Sue woke up not feeling totally rested but launched into her day off routine anyway. Sean tossed and turned for a few hours, but Sue was relieved to see him sleeping peacefully this morning.

She tiptoed to the dresser to get her clothes out of the dresser and was disappointed that her selection of options. She desperately needed to do laundry. She smiled sentimentally at her last clean set of underwear at the back of the drawer.

 _Sean has been back from Ghana for a few weeks and he and Sue had been inseparable since he returned. Sue even joined Sean at the Donahue family reunion campout at Tippecanoe Lake where Sue fit in with the rest of the Donahue clan. The young couple even had a drawer of clothes and a toothbrush at each other's apartments._

 _One Saturday night while they were fooling around in Sue's bedroom in the apartment she shared with Lexie they decided to take their relationship level and make love._

 _They began slowly undressing one another and savoring the closeness and intimacy. When Sean ran his hands along Sue's back along the band of her cotton bra he looked at Sue silently asking for her permission to unhook it. Sue smiled at him and nodded her head._

 _When he unhooked the bra, Sue let out a frantic gasp and then said, "Crumbs... I can't believe I forgot!"_

 _He covered his eyes with his hands to help her maintain her modesty and rolled off her and said, "I'm so sorry. If you are having doubts or aren't ready it is okay. I can just spend the night and we can just watch a movie like usual or go home if you want some space. Whenever you are ready will be the right time Suzy-Q."_

 _She takes a pillow to cover her breasts and strokes her panicking boyfriend's stubbled cheek and chest encouraging him to open his eyes. She gives him a kiss that could be considered chaste if one disregarded their current state of undress. "I don't want to stop. I just need a second to get changed," Sue reassures him._

" _Changed… " Sean repeats confused as he finally opens his eyes and quirks and eyebrow at her. Sue nods her head enthusiastically._

 _She hops out of bed still clinging the pillow to her chest and once she has her back to him she refastened her bra and scurries over to her dresser and explains, "I just remembered that I bought some new underwear for tonight months ago. Lexie was waiting in my driveway when I got home from dropping Axl off in Denver. She insisted we have a girl's day out and go to the Victoria's Secret semi-annual sale. The bra I bought from their "Very Sexy" collection and it was on clearance. It is lacy and itchy and the underwire digs in and pinches me. A push up bra is kind of like the boobs version of wearing braces but Lexie said, 'my girls' look great in it!" as she fumbles through her dresser and fished out a lacy light purple bra and matching panties._

 _Sean takes in his girlfriend wearing her sensible full coverage pale pink cotton bra and unbuttoned skinny jeans. As much as the idea of seeing her in sexy lingerie intrigued him but he fell in love with this version of her. Sort of plain to someone who was just walking by but extraordinary if they took the time for a second look. Wide eyes, genuine smile, and slim body. She looked incredibly sexy with her hair mussed-up, swollen lips, and hickey's he already branded on the pale skin of her neck, chest and stomach._

" _Suzy-Q, I swear 'your girls' look amazing in the bra you are already wearing. I want tonight to be a purely blissful memory for both of us. Haven't you had enough experiences related to orthodontia to last you a lifetime?" he asks._

 _She blushes and drops the matching set back into the drawer and then shimmies out of her jeans and climbs back into bed feeling more certain than ever about giving him her virginity._

Sue takes the purple panties out of the drawer but leave behind the pinchy bra and finds a clean tank top with a built-in bra, some clean sweat pants, and one of Sean's hoodies and creeps out of their bedroom to take a shower.

After her shower she threw a few loads of laundry in the washers. Most people would hate having to haul to their apartment building's shared laundry room, but Sue enjoyed it. The hallway to their little apartment always smelled like fresh laundry and she loved being able to do a few loads of laundry at once.

While her laundry was in the washer she got a text from her mom saying that Nancy Donahue would be joining them for their Bachelor finale viewing and even volunteered to bring over dinner if she and Sue took care of dessert. She checked out Nancy's Pinterest board and settled on a chocolate fondue.

After perusing Pinterest Sue decided to check out Facebook. She was happy see a flurry of likes of the selfie of her and Sean in the ER breakroom last night. She braces herself for the comments:

Ellie one of her friend from East Indy no-cut acapella posted: "Such a cute picture, but I was hoping to see something sparkly on a certain finger…" with a winky-face emoji.

Timothy one of Sean's friends from Notre Dame who Sue met a few times posted: "Beef Bourguignon delivered at 1am. Put a ring on it already, Sean!"

Both comments got a handful of like and loves from Frankie Heck, Nancy Donahue, Lexie, Brad, and even Axl.

Sue rolls her eyes while continuing to scroll Facebook. She wasn't going to be the girl who bullies a guy into a proposal or gives him an ultimatum.

Then she sees Meghan one of her friends from the Disney College program was engaged her boyfriend of less than a year.

A few post later she sees Lexie was showing her barely existent baby bump. Hand's exaggerated placed on the small of her back jutting her growing belly out. #16WeeksToday

After that she saw her friend Carly with her toddler and newborn infant.

Part of Sue was a little jealous of the posts she saw on Facebook. She decided to push that envy aside and remind herself of the advice that she gave Sean years before in the Heck family backyard when they exchanged their first kiss. "You cannot compare yourself to anybody else. You are your own unique you. Everyone has their own path." It was true for Sean then and it was true for them as a couple now.

A couple hours later Sean woke up to find Sue watching House Hunters. This was a regular occurrence in their little apartment. They would watch House Hunters, Property Brothers, or Love It or List It. They would always express their annoyance at the homebuyers or homeowners. Or they would debate about what home would be the best compromise or value as they folded laundry together.

This morning Sue wasn't watching with a casual amusement. She was sitting on the couch with a binder balanced on her lap diligently taking notes. Sue had a couple loads of laundry fresh out of the dryer to be folded. The baskets where ignored because she is so engrossed on what was going on in the screen she doesn't even notice her boyfriend standing in the hallway taking in her focused face as she scribbles in the binder.

"Good morning, Suzy-Q! What are you up to?" he asks as he snuggles into to his girlfriend on their couch.

"Nothing much, just watching some TV!" Sue as she tries to hide the binder behind a colorful throw pillow on their couch.

He leans in for a kiss and sneaks the binder away from her mid kiss. The binder was titled "Sean's Internship!" Printed in glittery puffy paint with doddles of a stethoscope's and bandages. He opens the binder and saw tabs devoted to cities. Baltimore, Cincinnati, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Atlanta. Each tab came with a rundown of the cities pros and cons, a description of the internship programs in each city, information about the cost of living, and information about local hotels and resorts.

"Wow, Suzy-Q…" Sean is truly in awe of all the information in front of him. So many possible cities and different futures ahead of them and Suzy-Q was on game for anything. Sean smiles with the little notes.

Chicago: "Oprah loves Chicago and our mom's love Oprah! Some of my favorite rom-com's take place there! Five-ish hour drive home!"

San Francisco: "Cable Cars! The home of the Tanner family from Full House! Rice-a-Roni is the San Francisco treat!"

Seattle: "Nancy would love Pike Place Market! Ferry Boats! The blopes are a short car ride away!"

Sue speaks up to break him from the trance the glittery binder has him in, "You have been so concerned with just finishing medical school. But I wanted prepare for the future."

She started making the binder about 3 months ago when Sean registered for the National Residency Matching program. The Match would determine where he would be starting his residency by using an algorithm and Sean wouldn't find out where he would be starting his internship until March. Sue remembered Sean going through his "hippie phase" before they started dating because of the application process to medical schools. She didn't want to put any additional pressure on him by discussing the future.

"You would really be willing to uproot your whole life for me?" Sean asks.

"Of course, I would! I love you. I like my job and my work family, but they know I wasn't planning on staying there forever. We tried to be a long-distance couple when I was in Orlando and it didn't go well. Long distance is the wrong distance for us." Sue reminds him.

Their first separation when he was in Ghana was a cakewalk. They were elated about finally having their feelings out in the open and being on the same page. They filled in every spare moment with long emails, skype dates, text messages, and making plans until they were reunited.

Things got rocky during Sue's senior year of college when she was participating in the Disney College Program along with Brad. She was in Florida for five months and was regularly working anywhere from 40-60 hours a week while attending classes and seminars and Sean was in Indiana in his 2nd year of medical school. The distance and their crazy schedules were a major challenge. It didn't help that when Sean traveled to visit Sue for her birthday he became suspicious that one of Sue's new friends was interested in more than just her friendship. One night during one of their skype dates Sean and Sue got in a heated argument and agreed to take a break from their relationship. 

The break taught them a lot about themselves and their relationship. They learned they had a firm foundation of love, friendship, and mutual respect. Days after their fight Sue sent Sean a text wishing him luck on an exam. Sean still regularly checked in on Frankie Heck who was struggling with Axl being in Denver, Sue being in Orlando, and Brick getting ready graduate from high school and go to college. They reconciled over a long phone call before she completed the program. Sean even flew to Florida so he could drive home with Brad and Sue. It was a memorable road trip filled with a little too much Taylor Swift, One Direction, and Beyoncé for Sean's liking.

"I love you and I want you to be the best doctor you can be. Wherever we end up I will find a new job and I will have new friends. We will be able to fly out to visit our families and our families will come visit us." Sue reminds him.

Sean continues to flip through the binder. Some of the programs in these cities were very prestigious and the competition to get a residency spot was intense. He knew with Sue's support he could make it through the challenges in this new transition in his career.

Sean handed the binder back to Sue. "Are there any cities that you more interested about than others?" he asks and turns his attention to folding laundry.

In true Sue Heck fashion, she has nothing negative to say about any of the cities. She is excited about everything. Sean took in hear face that is glowing with excitement and free of any apprehension and he is awestruck by her in this moment. Sue only ever lived in Indiana minus the months she worked at Disney World and Dollywood. She is stepping into an uncertain future fearlessly and ready for a new adventure.

Sean thinks about his own anxiety. If Sue can be brave about starting a new life potentially thousands of miles away from everything she has ever known. He shouldn't be full of nerves going to the game with Mike tonight and asking for permission to marry Sue.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the kind reviews for the last chapter! I am so sorry for the delay for this chapter. I started off with a vague outline of this story and this chapter came out of nowhere and I couldn't stop tinkering with it and now I have a chapter with twice as long as any other chapter I have written before. I hope you enjoy it.**

Nancy Donahue busily set to work preparing a meal for her girls night with Frankie and Sue Heck. Frankie is bringing wine and Sue is in charge of dessert. She was thrilled to have some company. The Donahue house that once bustled with activity was quiet. She dropped Ron off at the airport this morning to go out of town for a business trip. Sean was nearly done with medical school and living with Sue in Gumford. Dottie was going to college out of state at Northwestern in Chicago. Shelly was so busy with her extracurricular activities and preparing her college applications. Nancy was already feeling like an empty nester.

One thing that helped Nancy with her loneliness was her fellow empty-nester Frankie Heck. They have grown closer over the past few years. Frankie even joined her for some of her volunteer activities. She also had a new favorite ritual watching The Bachelor with Frankie. Tonight, was the season finale and both women were hoping for Lauren to walk away with the final rose from Bachelor Evan and a ring.

Nancy's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and she sees her son and his girlfriend. Sean was wearing the blue T.Y. Hilton Colts jersey Ron got him for Christmas last year and carrying a reusable grocery bag. He paused at the door and helped Sue take off her puffy purple winter coat. She felt a surge of pride seeing her son treating his longtime girlfriend with such chivalry. She raised a true gentlemen.

"My favorite son and his gorgeous girlfriend," Nancy gushes as she hurries from the kitchen with already puckered lips to envelop the young couple in a hug and gives both of them kisses on their cheeks.

They made their way into the Donahue family kitchen together. Sue can't help but notice the scent of the brownies baking in the oven.

"I thought I was in charge of dessert for tonight?" Sue notes trying to hide her annoyance but her eyes darted to Sean. He shifted uncomfortably knowing that his mother's good intentions offended Sue. Nancy made back up dishes for her since they started dating. It didn't help that she attempted to make Nancy's brownies at least a dozen times and they never turned out right.

"Oh, sweetie. It isn't for dessert. It's just a little something I whipped up for you to bring home later," Nancy explains as she takes them the perfect brownies out of the oven.

"So, Mom what are you making for dinner?" Sean asks to break up the tension in the kitchen.

"Oh, I am just keeping it simple. Just some hors d'oeuvres since we are going to be eating in front of the television and some miniature pizzas that look like roses," she responds.

"Eating in the living room?! That's against the rules." Sean reminds. Eating in the living room was forbidden when he was growing up.

"Watching The Bachelor isn't just watching a television program. It is an escape and every good escape needs some snacks," Nancy says reciting the explanation that Frankie gave her months ago as she plopped several bags of takeout on the Donahue family coffee table when they sat down to watch the season premiere together.

The doorbell rang and Nancy opened it and greeted Mike and Frankie Heck and shrieked in delight when she saw Frankie wearing a shirt that said, "The Most Dramatic Rose Ceremony Ever" in glittery lettering.

"Oh Frankie, your shirt is hilarious! You are such a riot!" Nancy gushes.

"I found it on Pinterest! They has fun stuff too. Not just recipes and home organization stuff," Frankie explains as she walks into the Donahue kitchen with Mike.

Sue looks at Sean in disbelief and murmured, "Your mom got my mom on Pinterest!"

"I got you one too!" Frankie announces gleefully as she pulls the kitschy shirt out of the blue bag.

Nancy's eyes welled up with tears clearly touched by the gift, "We can be twinsies!"

Frankie's eyes started welling up too. Part of her thought Nancy was watching the Bachelor just to be the polite. Seeing her she truly enjoyed their little tradition.

Sue excited gasp broke up the silence and started excitedly bouncing from side to side , "Sean and Dad are twinsies too!"

The older women cooed at this observation and Sean and Mike looked at one another and realized they were both in fact wearing blue T.Y. Hilton jerseys and jeans.

Mike looked annoyed and this put Sean on edge. The last thing Sean wanted was to start such an important evening on the wrong foot.

Sue tugs on Sean's arm and drags him towards her dad, "I need to get a picture."

The two men looked at each other uncomfortably but they know how persistent Sue could be especially when she was excited about something. Both men knew better than to protest her.

The two men stood side by side in the Donahue kitchen as Sue snapped pictures with her phone. Sue even got Frankie to take a picture of her standing between them.

Mike coughed uncomfortably and looked at his watch. "Look at the time… If we want to grab that drink before the game, we better get going."

Sue walked the men in her life across the street to the Heck family station wagon. She told Sean earlier in that day her dad would prefer to drive.

"I really hope you have some fun with my dad tonight and I would love it if I got a selfie of my two favorite guys at the game," Sue asks with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"I'll try…" Sean promises as he pulls her into a tight hug and then gives her a kiss on the forehead. Something he always did when they parted.

"Text me and let me know how things are going," Sue reminds him as he settles into the passenger seat of the station wagon.

Sue walks over to her dad and pulls him into a hug. "Have fun and please don't give Sean a hard time…" she requests.

Mike pats her back and echoes Sean's earlier promise, "I'll try…"

When Sue reenters to the Donahue house she is greeted by her mom and Nancy now both wearing their matching shirts.

"Will accept this rosé?" Frankie shows off the bottle dramatically while reciting the joke she practiced since she got bottle of wine at the grocery store.

Nancy cackles loudly and does her finest impression of a Bachelor contestant jutting out her chest, wiping away fake tears, "Frankie, I would be honored to take this rosé!"

As Nancy pours each of them a glass of wine and the annoyance Sue felt toward her earlier faded. She was confident she would be just fine wherever Sean got his residency match. The one thing that filled her with worry was leaving her parents in Orson. She was happy to see Frankie and Nancy looking out of each other already.

Nancy pours three glasses of wine as the older Heck woman continues to dig through the 'blue bag'. "Jackpot!" Frankie proclaims as she holds up some colorful printouts.

Sue steals one from her grasp and reads it horrified. Nancy Donahue has loosened up a lot recently, but this was something she was certain she would object to. "The Bachelor Drinking Game," Sue said incredulously. She looks across the kitchen island to Nancy with a raised eyebrow.

Nancy circled the island and waves the flimsy piece of paper disappointed. "Frankie, if this is going to be a tradition we need to laminate these. C'mon ladies we are taking this party to the craft room," Nancy says and then raises her glass of rosé in the air and leads the way downstairs to the Donahue family basement. Frankie follows along with her glass wine in hand as well.

Sue lagged behind the older women and tucked a roll of paper towels under one arm and stuffed a container of Clorox wipes in the pocket of Sean's hoodie that she was wearing. She took a large gulp of the wine that was poured into her glass earlier to prevent the chance of her spilling while she descended the stairs to the Donahue basement. She refused to be the reason Sean's mom brought back the 'No Food or Drink Outside the Kitchen or Dining Room' rule before Sean got to enjoy the new freedom in his childhood home.

The Donahue family basement it was the opposite for the basement at the dank dreary basement of her childhood home. It was fully finished and meticulously organized with cheery yellow walls, oak laminate floors, and shelves lined the walls and where Nancy proudly displayed her children's various art projects, trophies, and framed photographs.

Frankie was already busily gluing 'The Bachelor Drinking Game' rules to pieces of red cardstock as Nancy prepared the laminator. Sue took a seat at the end of the oversized craft table beside the Cricut machine and remembers the first Valentine's Day she and Sean were a couple. She was in Florida working at Disney World and they arranged a date via Skype to open the gifts they sent each other. When Sue opened the valentine card Sean sheepishly confessed he used his mom's Cricut machine to make sure the snowflakes on the front were perfect and then made her promise to never tell Axl he used his mother's crafting supplies because he would never hear the end of it.

Sue's thoughts were interrupted by Nancy opening a storage chest. "I got the darling outfit for Axl and Lexie's baby. I know they haven't found out the gender yet but couldn't myself. The baby clothes they make today is so much cuter than when we had our kids," Nancy rambles as she digs through the chest.

"Wow, Nancy… That is a lot of baby clothes," Sue says. The chest was stuffed with sleepers, cute onsies, frilly tutus, and tiny overalls.

Nancy widens her eyes in alarm and dart to Frankie who takes a large sip of her wine. Both women look at each other guiltily and avoiding making eye contact with Sue.

Sue eyes at the women suspiciously, "What is going on with you two? Why are you acting so weird?"

Nancy chews on her lower lip nervously and looks at Frankie apologetically knowing she probably spilled the secret that brought them closer together.

Frankie closes her eyes and takes in a breath and confesses, "Nancy knows about the little scare you and Sean had a few months ago."

 _May 2020_

 _Sue was laying on the couch clutching a sleeve of saltine crackers and a small bottle of ginger ale. When she hears a knock at the door she knows it is her mom and doesn't bother to stand up in an effort to keep her stomach calm. "Come in…" she hollers from her comfy spot on the couch._

 _Frankie Heck enters the apartment engrossed with the multiple coupons, "Okay Sue, I have coupons for IHop and Denny's. You can decided where we go."_

 _Frankie looks over to her daughter expecting her to be dressed and ready go but finds her on the couch wearing her pajamas, robe, and shearling slippers. Sue's normally rosy cheeks turn ashen at the mention of food._

" _Sue, are you okay?" Frankie asks sitting on the couch and wipes a sweaty lock of hair from her forehead to check if she has a temperature and finds it cool._

 _Sue breathes in deeply in an attempt to fight off another wave of nausea._

" _Mom, I'm late…" Sue confesses. She has been feeling queasy for the past few days and realized that morning that her period was late._

 _Frankie gasps in surprise. If any of her children were to have an unexpected pregnancy she would think it would be Axl._

" _But you are always so careful," Frankie says as she remembering her attempt to give Sue "The Talk". Frankie ended up learning more about contraception from Sue during that chat because Lexie and Brad encouraged her to go to the campus health center at East Indy before Sean came home from Ghana._

" _We are!" Sue says with a hint of uncertainty in her voice._

 _Frankie gives her a look of disbelief. "You are telling me that in the time you and Sean have been together you have been careful every single time and you have never missed a birth control pill."_

 _Sue thinks back to a romantic evening a few weeks before and her pale cheeks turn pink at the memory._

 _April 2020_

 _Sean beamed he saw Sue pull into their apartment complex blaring the latest Taylor Swift album and singing along. She pulls into her parking space and he take her hand and helps her out of her car._

" _Aren't you looking springilicious today, Suzy-Q," Sean flirts referring to the knee length light green linen dress and white cardigan with embroidered floral accents she was wearing. One of the perks of her recent promotion was that she didn't have to wear the standard guest services attire of a dark color blazer and solid color blouse anymore._

 _She blushes at the compliment and then launches into an apology, "Sorry I wasn't able to get off work earlier to go out to dinner like you asked. I haven't even been able to sneak out of the inn to get to the pharmacy and pick up my prescription after like 4 days of trying. I swear I thought I had another month supply in the bathroom drawer… "_

 _Sean brushes a lock of hair out of face and tucks it behind her ear and interrupts, "No apologizes tonight, Suzy-Q. I don't need a fancy restaurant as long as I have your company." Then kisses that spot on her neck that made her shiver no matter how warm it was outside. He and takes her work bag out of her hands and leads them towards their little apartment._

" _Do you have bricks in here, Suzy Q?" he asks as he holds up the quilted Vera Bradley bag as they climbed the steps to their apartment._

 _She cringes because the work that came with her new promotion was never done and admits, " I have 25 pounds of Jordan Almonds to stuff in over 500 tiny organza bags. The bride for the wedding on Saturday is so stressed out. Her Maid-of-Honor flaked out about helping her with the party favors so I offered to take care of them."_

 _He kisses her hand that was intertwined with his and says, "I will help you with them tomorrow morning before my shift at the hospital if you promise to take the night off tonight."_

 _Sue nods enthusiastically thrilled to have some help with the tedious task. She uses her slight body to pin him to against the door of their apartment and peppers his cheeks, chin, and lips with kisses. Sean opens the door to the apartment and they laugh as they stumble inside together._

" _What's that?" she asks pointing at two oversized baskets that filled their small dining room table as she regains her balance._

 _Sean bounces from side to side just like he did when he got the Delman Fellowship. Today was an exciting day and he couldn't wait to tell Sue his good news. He picked up his phone several times to call or text her but wanted to share this moment with her._

" _Do you remember the article I was working on with Dr. Jalali?" Sean asks. A few months before a patient to the hospital and his symptoms left the staff baffled. He figured out the diagnosis and presented a treatment plan that was successful. Dr. Jalali a senior attending at the hospital told him the case interesting and encouraged him to write an article about it. He did write the article but consulted Dr. Jalali so much during the process of writing it he credited the senior attending a co-author._

" _Of course. You worked on it for weeks not to mention the time you spent treating the patient," she remembers as she takes off her kitten heels and wiggles her aching toes into the freshly vacuumed carpet of their living room and hangs her cardigan on the coat rack._

 _Sean takes in a breath in an attempt to calm his excitement, "A highly respected medical journal published it and it is getting lots of interest. The baskets are from the St. Matthews Hospital Board of Directors and the President of St. Matthews Medical School. This is the first time staff or students from their programs have been published in a journal this prestigious."_

 _She shrieks in delight and nearly tackles him in a hug when she hears this news. She always knew her boyfriend was a special snowflake and was on his way to being a gifted physician. He truly cared about his patients and loved sharing stories about them with her._

 _Sue wanders over to the gift basket that was already opened. She sees packages Godiva and Ghirardelli chocolates, a couple jars of caviar, a few boxes of fancy crackers, and bottle of Crystal champagne. She notices the a gap in the basket as she hears a loud "pop" sound._

 _She turns her head toward the sound and sees Sean pouring the foamy and sparkling amber liquid into a champagne flute. She wraps her arms around Sean from behind as he pours the second glass. Her eyes widen when she sees the label Dom Perignon._

 _Sue didn't know much about wine or champagne but she did know that a bottle of Dom Perginon was truly special. The Inn kept a case on hand but it was rare when a guest wanted to celebrate something special like Valentine's Day or an anniversary._

" _Sean are you want to drink that tonight? Just the two of us? Don't you want to save it for something special?" she asks._

 _Sean hands her the flute of champagne and holds up his and says, "We are living our dreams together. You just got promoted at the Inn and I am doing well in med school. We are happy, healthy, in love, and growing in our careers. I think that is something worth celebrating."_

 _Sue beams when they clinked their glasses together. He was right they were living their dream together._

 _May 2020_

" _I got a little off track on my birth control last month and we got a little spontaneous." Sue confesses as she remembers the champagne-fueled night a month earlier._

" _Do you want me to go and pick you up a test?" Frankie asks._

" _No, I need to talk to Sean about it first. I think this is something we need to find out together," Sue explains._

 _Frankie nods her head in agreement. As much as she wanted to know in that moment if Sue was pregnant it was one of those tough moments in parenthood when she needed to remind herself her children were adults and she had to take a step back._

" _Well just remember that you have family that loves you and wants to support both of you. Not just me but your dad and the Donahues," Frankie reminds her._

 _Sue frowns at the reassurance her mother attempted to provide. She is already dreading the idea of telling her dad and Mrs. Donahue about an unplanned pregnancy and she hadn't even confirmed it yet. Sean was already so on edge around her dad and she felt so inadequate around Nancy Donahue._

" _Mom, you can't tell anyone about this. Especially Nancy Donahue or Dad," Sue pleads._

" _Why not?" Frankie questions. Just the other day Nancy told her how much she loved Sue and couldn't wait to start helping them plan a wedding. She even hinted that Sean might already have a ring already._

" _Because we aren't married, we don't own a home and I don't even know how to make Nancy Donahue's brownies! " Sue rambles._

 _Their conversation was interrupted by Sean entering the apartment wearing scrubs with his backpack slung over his shoulder. Sue brightens at the sight of her boyfriend. Even though she spent most of the morning praying to the porcelain god and was filled with anxiety about her period being late just being around Sean made her feel better._

 _Sean is concerned when he sees that Sue is still in her pajamas on the couch knowing she hasn't been feeling well the past few days but is relieved to see Sue taking it easy. She has been stressed out with her new promotion and working long hours even though she wasn't feeling well._

" _Hello Ladies," he greets the Heck women as he takes a seat beside Sue on couch and puts his arm around her. He smiles as she snuggles into him. All he has wanted to do the past few days was take care of Sue._

 _After a few minutes of friendly conversation Frankie Heck excuses herself explaining that Sean was more than capable of taking care of Sue._

 _Sean and Sue continue to cuddle on the couch. Sue fidgets with the terry cloth belt around the middle of her robe in nervously. She runs her hands through the hair that she has been growing out for several months and tries to figure out how to share her suspicions with Sean._

" _So I was chatting about you at work and co-workers thought that your symptoms were consistent with pregnancy," Sean announces with a cautious smile._

 _Sue lets out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding in. Of course being the thoughtful boyfriend Sean is she didn't even need to tell him. She wanted to roll her eyes and say, "such a Donahue…" something she did whenever he did something particularly thoughtful or generous. At this moment she is speechless. This was him being just Sean her attentive and loving partner._

 _Although Sue was relieved not to see a look of panic in his eyes but another part of her was envious of his confidence. She only began to suspect she was pregnant few hours ago and was trying to wrap her mind around the idea of having a human growing inside of her and completely dependent on her and Sean._

" _I am a few days late," Sue confirms with meekly still trying to get used to the idea._

 _Sean grins thinking of the times that he and Sue talked about having kids someday. Remembering last fall when Sue sheepishly admitted that seeing him holding a newborn baby in the hospital nursery made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He remembered feeling the same when he saw her at working at the Wilderness Lodge in Disney World and saw her trading pins with a little girl dressed up like Elsa from Frozen talking about their favorite Disney movies. They already several hypothetical conversations about having a family and agreed that they wanted at least two children because they loved growing up with siblings._

 _He pull her into a tight hug but then pulls away quickly and frantically asks, "Am I crushing you? How is your stomach?"_

 _Sue smiles at his concern. Much of the earlier queasiness subsided but she was still feeling exhausted. "I am feeling a lot better," she reassures._

 _Sean gives her a kiss on the forehead and then fumbles through his backpack and presents several boxes of pregnancy tests to her. "Nurse Jan was the first to think we were pregnant. She sent me home with some tests from hospital clinic. She said I volunteered more than enough hours their to justify taking them home. "_

 _Sue hold one of the official looking boxes in her hands and fidgets with it nervously. Now she regrets not accepting her mom's offer to pick up a pregnancy test because the 'Womb There It Is' test from the Frugal Hoosier doesn't promise 99.9% accuracy like the tests that Sean brought home. "Is it okay if I don't want to know yet…" Sue trails off._

" _Why wait, Suzy-Q?" Sean asked baffled. He was antsy for answers on the question that has been lingering in his mind for hours and probably in the been in the back of his mind for days if he was being truly honest with himself._

" _I know if I am pregnant the baby would be an amazing blessing. Is it horrible if I want just one more of night of just you and me before I start budgeting for diapers, daycare, and braces?" Sue asks._

 _As desperate as Sean was to get answers he couldn't disagree with Sue's thinking. A baby would change everything. "It's okay, Suzy-Q. The first morning urine is usually the most accurate anyway…" he explains. He gives her a kiss and holds her close as he turns on the TV._

 _Frankie turns onto Birchwood Avenue grinning to herself thinking about Sean and Sue potentially having a baby. Between Sue and her "Sueness" and Sean and his "Donahueness" their baby would be the most precious child on the planet. Frankie had to roll her eyes to herself thinking of Sue's worries about the less than ideal timing of a pregnancy. Sue and Sean had a history of wacky timing and it appears their first child would too._

 _Frankie was barely out of the car before she was greeted by Nancy Donahue. "Frankie, how is Sue doing? I spoke to Sean yesterday and he said she wasn't feeling so well," Nancy asks genuinely concerned._

" _It was probably just a stomach bug. She was already feeling better when I left the apartment," Frankie fibs while trying to suppress her grin. She steps out of the station wagon and tries to hurry into the Heck family home to avoid spilling the beans._

" _I was in the middle of making some homemade chicken noodle soup for her. Do you want to come over and try some," Nancy asks already knowing Frankie couldn't resist her cooking._

 _Frankie bit her lip nervously. She knows she needs to keep Sue's suspicions private but she also knows that her stomach is rumbling since she wasn't able to use the buy one get one free coupons for her dinner with Sue today. She follows Nancy into the Donahue house because he only thing better than a half priced lunch was a free meal from Nancy Donahue's kitchen._

 _Nancy stands in the Donahue kitchen ladling bowls of soup from the simmering stockpot, "Sean was really so sweet on the phone. He was so worried about his "Suzy-Q". It was nice to know even though he is a grown man and almost a doctor sometimes he still needs some reassurance from mom." Frankie nods in agreement few things gave more satisfaction than her children reaching out for her advice or opinion about something._

 _After a few minutes of silence while enjoying Nancy's perfect chicken noodle soup. Nancy breaks the silence, "It was so hard for me not to ask him if Sue was pregnant."_

 _Frankie chokes on the soup and Nancy gives her a few pats on the back to help her clear her airway and offers her a glass of water._

" _Pregnant, huh… what?" Frankie lies._

" _Frankie, you don't need to have a medical degree to think Sue is pregnant. We're moms we know the symptoms. I had three Donahue babies and when Sean told me how Sue was feeling it took me back to when I was pregnant. I was so sick and completely exhausted," Nancy recalls._

 _Frankie sips her water nervously as Nancy continues rambling about her feeling like a failure for relying on Eggo waffles, store bought muffins, and cold cereal to feed her family when she was suffering from morning sickness. Most of these items were staples and even an indulgence in the Heck house. Sue's insecurity about her potential pregnancy became more understandable._

 _Frankie's thoughts were interrupted by Nancy asking, "Frankie, did Sue say anything to you? Has she took a test yet?"_

 _Frankie takes in her neighbors face radiating warmth and joy. She knew of expectant mothers having a pregnancy glow but now she wonders if there was such a thing as granny glow. If their was Nancy certainly had it and Frankie felt the tingling of her skin and wondered if she radiated joy as well. She and Nancy exchange a knowing look and her thoughts were confirmed. The granny glow was a real thing and they spent the rest of the afternoon discussing their future grandchildren._

Sue cringes in mortification the last person she wanted to know about her pregnancy scare her boyfriend's mother. Her mother didn't even need to keep it quiet for a full 24 hours since "Aunt Flow" arrived before she even took the test. Her mom even found out it was a false alarm before Sean since she texted her the news before Sean even woke up.

She couldn't be too angry at her mother since just a few months ago she told Sean about Lexie and Axl's pregnancy. Lexie told her not to tell a soul but it was happy news and she had to share it with someone. She raced home after her shift at the Inn and woke up a sleeping Sean by bouncing on the bed and chanting "I'm going to be an auntie, I'm going to be an auntie!"

Nancy breaks the silence as she starts folding the baby clothes and organizing the chest, "I got a little carried away at the thought of being a Grandma.." she trails off wistfully.

Carried away was an understatement. Frankie and Nancy only thought Sue was pregnant for one afternoon and during that brief time they concocted a plan to convert the Donahue basement into an apartment so they could save money to buy the Glossner house. They also daydreamed about getting the Property Brother renovate it and make it their forever home.

Sue takes a seat next to her boyfriend's mom and is overwhelmed by the amount of baby clothes. She helps Nancy organize the chest and pauses as she picks up a tiny grey sweater and caresses the soft article of clothing. Nancy smiles and points to a photo on the wall of Sean as a toddler wearing the sweater. "I have been saving it for when he has a baby. When you and Sean have one I mean," the older woman clarifies.

"So you wouldn't have been disappointed if we had a surprise?" Sue asks nervously as she continues to fawn over the cute outfits.

"Oh, heavens no! I was so excited about the idea of you and Sean having a baby. I know you will be fantastic parents when the time comes. " Nancy reassures her.

She wasn't ready for children yet but she was happy to know that Nancy would be just as excited as she would be when the time came.

 **I apologize for the delay again. I am thinking about continuing to write a series of one shots about this universe when I finish this fic (little missing moments and flash forwards). Any thoughts or opinions on where Sue and Sean should move to for his residency?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello friends. Long time no update and it turns out I write painfully slow. I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to read and review this fic. I promise I will finish this fic eventually.**

Sean sits in the passenger seat of the Heck family station wagon nervously wondering how to broach the subject of asking for his blessing to propose to Sue.

 _Should he do it before the game and get it over with? Should he wait until after the game? Would he chicken out if the Colts lost?_

Sean's thoughts were interrupted when he realized Mike Heck merging into the freeway off-ramp and Lucas Oil Field was in sight . Was he really so lost in his own thoughts that they spent the entire two hour commute in silence?

Mike pulls into a parking lot a few blocks away from the stadium that exits the station wagon and breaks the silence, "Sean, how is that fantasy football team of yours doing?" Remembering one of Sean and Sue's early trips to the Heck family home as a couple.

 _Mike looked at the couple confused when Sean and Sue would jump up and down cheering on players and exchanging high fives as they showed scoring plays around the NFL during halftime of the Colts game._

 _She snuggles into her boyfriend as they settle back on the couch but is catches her dads confused expression. "Sean is in a fantasy football league with some of his frat brothers from Notre Dame. His team is on fire today," Sue explains. Her eyes sparkle with adoration she looks up at Sean and caresses the numbers of the Colt jersey covering his chest intimately. Sean murmurs something in Sue's ear that makes her blush and she is unable to suppress a giggle._

 _Mike shifts in his chair awkwardly and his eyes darts to the couple cozily cuddling on the couch. He didn't like public displays of affection even between himself and his own wife of more than 25 years. He certainly felt uncomfortable about his daughter canoodling with the boy from across the street in front of him._

 _Sue is oblivious to look her dad shoots at them but it makes the hair on the back of Sean's neck stand up. Sean removes Sue's hand from his chest and hold it in his own while shrugging his shoulders guiltily at the older man._

 _The glare on Mike Heck's face softens and nods his head in approval. At least Sean picked up on his non-verbal cues and he didn't have to have an awkward conversation about handsy behavior in his home. Mike remembers Frankie's reminders to make Sean feel comfortable in their home or else they would lose Sue to the Donahue's when the couple came to Orson to visit._

" _Are you really into that fantasy football business?" Mike asks out of genuine curiosity. He knew Sean was a busy guy between medical school, helping his parents, volunteering, and being the #BestBoyfriendEVER according to Sue's Instagram posts. Fantasy football seemed like a waste of time for someone who had so much going on in their life._

" _It made watching those rebuilding years fun. Don't worry Mr. Heck I am Colts fan first. I have a firm rule against drafting any players from the AFC South other than the Colts and I always sit my players who are playing against the Colts," Sean explains earnestly._

 _Mike leans back in his recliner and turns his attention back to the game. He scowls as he watches Andrew Luck get sacked by Khalil Mack. Maybe Sean had a point about fantasy football making Sunday's more fun._

Sean frowns as he think about the current state of his fantasy football team between medical school and the grind of day to day life he neglected his fantasy team this year. "I'm not doing too well. I have been so busy. I put Sue in charge of my team for a few weeks and I am wishing she was still my GM."

Mike's neutral face erupts in a grin remembering the weeks when Sue incessantly texted him and called him about hypothetical football match ups. It's been a long time since Sue asked for his help or opinion on anything. Especially since she and Sean moved in together. He found himself looking forward to those texts and phone calls. Mike felt conflicted knowing Sue didn't come to him first when her car was making a weird noise or she was suffering from insomnia after watching a scary movie. He was proud his daughter was confident and self-sufficient but knew when she needed support or help she turned to Sean first. Not him or Frankie.

"I started a league at the quarry this year," Mike confesses they settled into a booth at a pub halfway between the where they parked the station wagon and Lucas Oil Field.

Sean mouth twitched as he had to fight a smile as he took in Mike's embarrassed expression. The older man was always curious about the match ups and his draft strategies when he was trying to make polite conversation. Sean couldn't help himself he had to ask, "What caused you to start your own fantasy league?" It didn't surprise him that Mike was in a fantasy league what did surprise him was Mike started a fantasy league.

"The Chandler Inn and your mom's spinach dip," Mike said as they were served their beers. Sean leans back in the booth becoming more comfortable remembering Sue was organized the first Chandler Inn Staff Fantasy League Draft Party.

 _Sue stood on her front porch breathing in the summer air and the scent of freshly cut grass on Birchwood Avenue accompanied by the sound of a symphony of lawn mowers. Bill Norwood is mowing his front yard and gives him a friendly wave as she walked toward her car. She was about climb into her car when she spots Sean pushing a lawn mower to the Donahue family front yard._

 _She lets out a squeal of delight at the sight of her boyfriend. She runs across the street to sees Sean in a heather grey St. Matthews t-shirt that clings to his sweaty body as she pulls him into a kiss. Her face flushes remembering the last time she her fingers caressed his sweaty skin just a few nights before when they were in his bed._

" _What are you doing here?!" Sue asks holding him close to him close knowing he had a study group meeting up that day._

 _Sean pulls away from her just enough to look her in the eyes and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I needed to wish my girl luck on such an important day but my mom saw me and asked me to mow the lawn before I could knock on your door," he confessed._

 _Sue looks at him surprised, "I'm amazed you even remembered." It was her 60 day performance evaluation. She mentioned it casually in passing to Sean and her parents last week. She hoped that her hard work would be recognized by her superiors._

" _Of course I remembered! I am so proud of you Suzy-Q. You got a job in your field before you even graduated," Sean exclaims. Part of him was a little offended that she would think he would forget an important career milestone until he remembers Axl talking about all the times her family forgot her birthday or when Sue told him about how they ignored her when she "got lost" at the fair._

 _Sean hold Sue's hand and walks her to the car reassuring her that she was amazing and she had nothing to worry about. She looks at the passenger side confused when she finds a small brown paper bag that she didn't remember leaving in her car the night before._

" _My mom and I packed your lunch. She was upset I didn't tell her about your important day earlier because she would have made that pasta salad that you like. Can you come over tonight? I want to make you dinner later to celebrate. It has been like four days since you stayed the night and my roommates aren't going to be home and we will finally have some privacy," he entices her._

 _Sue blushes and decides to forget the awkward conversation she shared with her mom earlier that week about spending the night a home more often since she lived there and not at Sean's apartment. "Dinner at your apartment sounds amazing," she says happy to have something to look forward to no matter how her eval turned out._

 _Hours later Sue sat in the Chandler Inn Staff break room with her performance evaluation that she need still needs to sign off on and send to HR. She looks at her phone not surprised to find a couple texts from her boyfriend but was shocked to see a text from her dad that said, "Good luck today. Call me when you can."_

 _She looks at her phone debating who to connect with first. She knows that Sean is more emotionally supportive than her closed off dad but for some reason she finds herself dialing her dad's number._

" _Sue, how is it going today?" her dad asked after he picked up on the first ring._

 _Sue tucks her phone on her shoulder and digs through the bag to see what Mrs. Donahue packed her for lunch and smiles as she finds two miniature sandwiches one in the shape of a star and the other in the shape of a heart. Sue sighs, "It went okay but not as well as I wanted."_

" _Really, what happened?" her dad asked sounding confused. Sue had nothing but positive things to say about her experiences at the Inn so far._

 _Sue looks at the evaluation and reads off, "Earned fantastic feedback from guests and peers. Creative problem solving skills. Shows potential as a trainer because of depth of knowledge and positive and approachable attitude. Valuable member of our Chandler Inn team."_

" _What is wrong with that?" Mike asks completely confused. That evaluation sounded like high praise to his ears._

" _Because I have so many ideas to make things better!," Sue exclaims. "I had my supervisors ear without distractions and I didn't share them."_

 _Mike frowns and confesses, "They probably wouldn't have implemented them anyway."_

" _What?" Sue asks confused as she walks over to breakroom coffeepot to make a fresh pot. She wasn't much of a coffee drinker but she hated seeing her co-workers looks of disappointment when they found the pot empty._

 _Mike leans back his chair at thinking about how different his two oldest children were. Axl took his time finding a job after he graduated and even traveled through Europe the summer after he graduated. Sue started working at the Chandler Inn weeks before her graduation. Even though he was closer to Axl through his childhood and teen years after Axl moved to Denver he found himself getting closer to his only daughter as she grew into an adult._

" _As a manager I don't look for someone to come in and shake things up after 60 days. I look for people who step up when things aren't going well." Mike informs her. When he imagines her frowning on the other side of the phone he says, "I'm proud of you. Showing potential to be a trainer is an amazing thing. At the quarry I am impressed when an employee doesn't require more training after 60 days."_

 _Sue disappointment faded when she heard her dad's praise he was always honest with her. "Thank you, Dad," she said with her voice filled with emotion. She wanted to say so much more but she knew her dad wasn't a warm and fuzzy guy and it would make him uncomfortable._

 _When she hung up she was conflicted. Should she think of her evaluation as a "win" when she knew she had so much more to give it was bittersweet._

 _Sue lets out a breath and decides to take her dad's advice. Her career is going be a marathon, not a sprint and she will have to step up and seize her opportunities when they presented themselves._

 _She smiles when she finds a notes from her boyfriend and his mom scribbled on a napkins reminding her to have a good day. She continues to dig through her lunch and finds three snickerdoodles, a baggie with fresh cut veggies, and small Tupperware container with Nancy Donahue's spinach dip._

 _She was about to pick up her phone to text Sean and Mrs. Donahue to thank them for packing her lunch when Kerry the General Manager of the Inn entered the breakroom._

 _Kerry gave her a warm smile as she walked towards the coffee and says, "You know what I like about you Sue?"_

 _Sue replied with a curious, "What?" She only interacted with her a few times. When she was hired and one time was when she had to call her to help deescalate and angry woman who swore up and down that she had a reservation booked for the end of June for a Garden View room when she was booked for the end of July. She was surprised Kerry even knew her name._

" _You make my life easier every day. Even today I looked over at your station at guest services and heard you were at lunch. I knew I would find a fresh pot of coffee along with you," Kerry said as she pours a cup._

 _Sue dredges a carrot in her dip and cheerfully says, "I am always here to help."_

" _I really appreciate your positive attitude, Sue. It hasn't been the best day," Kerry confesses._

 _Sue's eyes widen with concern as she unwraps her dessert from its cellophane, "Would you like cookie or some veggies and spinach dip? My boyfriend's mom made me lunch and packed enough for a small army."_

 _The older woman accepts the cookie gratefully and settles at the table across for Sue and helps herself to a cucumber slice with dip. "This is amazing. Just what I needed after such a frustrating morning."_

" _Do you want to talk about it," Sue asks knowing just a friendly ear can make a world of difference._

" _Every year the staff has a fantasy football league and I have to be the bad guy and nag them about making trades on the clock and taking extra long breaks to gloat after a good week. I heard some employees talking about their upcoming draft. It is so frustrating," Kerry confesses._

 _Sue nods empathetically and then thinks of her coworkers already excitedly talking about draft strategies and says, "Maybe you should embrace it? SHRM magazine had a really interesting article about fantasy football in the workplace. They had some really interesting insights about how it's an inexpensive morale booster and promotes retention. Some workplaces even encourage fantasy football leagues by organize draft parties for employees but have firm guidelines and expectations. I still have the article if you want to read it."_

 _Kerry eats a chuck of the cookie that Sue gave her and looks at her thoughtfully and responded, "You know I think you're right. Jim from accounting could have moved on to other bigger opportunities years ago. I think part of the reason he is sticking around is because he is determined win the fantasy league. Let's test out this theory. You write up some workplace expectations and send them to me. I will get you a budget for this draft party and you can organize it. Just remember I am tasking you to keep it professional. "_

" _Are you sure?" Sue asks. She couldn't believe her ears not only did someone listen to her ideas but actually trusted her to implement them._

 _Kerry dips a slice of red pepper in the spinach dip and says, "You are respected by all the staff and I have a feeling they will listen to you more than they listen to me."_

" _I'm sure that's not true," Sue protests._

" _We will find out. Please drop a copy of that article off to me this week. I would like to have it available if the owners questions this little experiment," Kerry requests as she stood up and walks up towards the door._

 _Sue smiles widely already planning the festivities in her head and nods her head excitedly._

 _Before Kerry left the break room she had to make one final request, "Sue, you need to serve this spinach dip at the party. It is truly amazing."_

"She worked for weeks perfecting your mom's recipe. Organizing that draft party was a great opportunity for her. She built so much confidence when it was successful," Mike says sentimentally. 

"Sean, I love my daughter and respect judgement. She is more than capable of making her own choices and has done well for herself," the proud father bolsters.

"Suzy-Q is pretty amazing…" the younger man agrees happy to find common ground.

Mike cuts him off by saying, "This doesn't mean I agree with the choices the two of you have made as a couple. I understand that medical school is demanding and your residency might take you somewhere far away. This doesn't mean that Sue should give up a job she loves and uproot her life for someone who is just a boyfriend. She deserves a commitment."

Sean throat tightens up and gets that guilty feeling in his gut. He was ashamed to say this feeling has become familiar through the past few months. The result of too many awkward moments with friends and family asking if they set a date yet. Sue would awkwardly hold up her bare left hand and joke, "when this guy asks me."

Sean drops a small velvet box on the table and confesses, "I wanted to give Sue this three years ago…"

This action of producing a ring on the spot left Mike Heck speechless. He expected some hemming and hawing and even a little shame.

"You really have had that ring for three years?" Mike asks.

"Yes, it's a family heirloom," Sean recalls the weekend he received the ring.

 _When Sean returned from Ghana Sue joined him at the annual Donahue family reunion at Grandma Margaret's house at Tippercanoe Lake. Nancy, Ron, and Sean's aunts and uncles got to sleep inside the Donahue family home. Sean and the rest of the grandkids got to campout in the backyard in tents._

 _This was not how Sean pictured his first getaway with Sue as a couple. When he was in Ghana he would daydream of a fun weekend sightseeing in Chicago, a romantic getaway at a bed and breakfast in the country, and even a trip to Dollywood. He could picture Sue ignoring him during their first romantic getaway in favor of befriending the latest "Girl in the Well". Although their first trip as a couple wasn't the dream romantic weekend he thought of when they were apart. He decided to take a cue from his new girlfriend and look at how make the best of it he did buy a new two-person tent so they would have a little privacy._

 _This was the first reunion since Sean's grandfather, Peter, passed away and Sue's presence was a breath of fresh air during a bittersweet weekend. Sue loved hearing stories about Grandpa Donahue since she didn't get the chance to get to know him personally. Sue and Margaret bonded falling deeper in love over letters (or emails in Sue's case) as they played Yahtzee under a patio umbrella. Peter was in the military early and was sent overseas early in their relationship. Margaret glowed as she shared stories about her late husband and their early courtship. The whole family learned more about Peter Donahue because Sue was so curious._

 _During dinner of the first night of the weekend they had a blast sitting at the "kids table". Sean exchanged corny knock-knock jokes with his younger cousins and Sue taught them how to make paper fortune tellers._

 _Somehow Sean and Sue ended up in the oversized tent in the backyard of that house with one a kid between them in a Batman sleeping bag. Dottie and Shelly were thrilled they got share the tent Sean brought with their cousin Katie and they got a break from the little kids._

 _Grandma Margaret poked her head in the tent, "Kids remember I have a big bed all to myself so if you get scared out here or have a bad dream you can climb into bed with grandma and snuggle. That includes you Suzy-Q."_

 _Sean's cousin, Emma a six year old in Poppy the Troll sleeping bag holds Sue in a death grip in her sleep. She dislodges her arms enough to give Grandma Margaret a thumbs up._

 _Emma's twin brother, Joshua was sleeping in a Minion's sleeping bag and had his arms clasps his arms around Sean's neck and he was practically had him in a chokehold. They looked at each other and smiled because they were exhausted by the kids pulling them in opposite directions throughout the day but they also got to have a tiny glimpse into their future._

" _You really got a really special girl Sean and you look happier than I have ever seen you," Margaret praised as she added some sugar to her coffee the following morning. Sean was still on Ghana time four hours ahead of everyone and wasn't able to fall back asleep. As much as he was enjoying watching Sue sleep he was thrilled when the kitchen light flicked on and he was alerted someone else was awake._

 _Sean grins and remembers when he professed his love to Sue at mile marker sixteen he called her "walking sunshine". He didn't know that sunshine was contagious. When he was in Ghana all his co-workers teased him because they said they could tell when he got an email or Skyped with Sue because he radiated joy. Sue's sunshine spread to his Grandma because looked the happiest he has seen her since his grandpa passed away._

" _I'm glad you and Sue hit it off. She was so nervous about coming to the reunion," Sean confesses and remembers the hours sat on her bed in the Heck house as she fussed over what clothes pack for the reunion and asked questions like "Are these shorts too short? Is this sundress okay?"_

" _Well she had nothing to worry about. In fact, I insist on her joining us next year and the year after that and the year after that…" Margaret said in a singsong way._

 _Sean chuckles, "That's my plan." He knew Sue wasn't just a girlfriend she was his future._

" _Good," Margaret reaches into the pocket of her robe and places a velvet box on the table._

 _Sean stares at the box for a moment in disbelief. Sean opens the box and finds a familiar ring. He remembers being hypnotized by it glittering on her finger when he was a toddler. It was a simple ring white gold band with a modest solitaire diamond in the center. He smiles at the ring as he imagines putting it on Sue's slender finger._

" _I know you two are still young and marriage is a long way off. When the time is right I would love it if you gave Sue this ring," Margaret says._

" _Wow, Grandma are you sure?" Sean asks._

" _I want the ring to stay in the family and it is a good luck charm. I want you and Sue to have as many years of love and happiness as your grandpa and I had. When the time is right of course," she encourages._

"How.." Mike ask.

"What do you mean," Sean asks confused.

"How are you planning to pop the question?" Mike asks.

Sean looks at Mike confused. Does he have his blessing? Will his plans for a proposal be a test to getting his blessing?

The younger man sheepishly looks out the window he is almost embarrassed to tell Mike Heck his proposal idea. It was shmaltzy and sentimental. Something he was sure stoic Mike Heck wouldn't appreciate but his daughter would love.

"The first time Sue and I kissed was on Christmas Eve in your backyard. I thought I might ask her there tonight," Sean admits remembering the perfection of that night. The snow falling on his favorite snow flake as their lips passionately tangled for the first time.

The older man thinks of all of the times he walked by Sue's room when she was a little girl and saw her accept Woofy Dog's proposal. Sometimes when he walks by her now empty bedroom he almost hear her dramatic gasp as she narrated Woofy Dog getting on one knee and see her crooked-toothed smile nodding her head excitedly accepting the proposal from her most loyal stuffed animal friend. How did the girl with who daydreamed about becoming a bride become a woman? How did the boy across the street become a man on the verge of becoming a doctor?

Mike bites on his thumbnail nervously and thinks about the recent rainstorms that made his backyard a swampy mess. "That won't work. You won't be able to get down on one knee for months. We need to think about something better," Mike declares.

"Well it can't be too elaborate or over the top. Sue has plans for our future. She would be furious if I spent money I don't have on an extravagant proposal," Sean explains. Although Sue was an optimistic ray of sunshine most of the time when it came to finances she was hard core realist.

 _Shortly after they agreed to move in together they sat side by side with laptops on the living room couch of the apartment Sean shared with two roommates. Sean was excitedly oohing and awing over spacious apartments with amenities like outdoor and indoor pools, gyms, and basketball courts._

 _Sue was fussing with a spreadsheet that was her budget and biting her thumbnail anxiously._

" _What's wrong Suzy-Q?" he asked. She was so excited about moving in together last night._

 _Sue looks at her spreadsheet and confesses, "I know we grew up across the street from each other but we had very different upbringings. My family always struggled with making ends meet. I figured we could save some money and for our future. Neither of us will use the indoor gym. You will be too busy with med school and I hate running on a treadmill. I like running outdoors it reminds me of my glory days running cross country at Orson Jr High. I get to see squirrels frolic and stop always have an excuse to stop for a breather to pet dogs who are taking their humans for walks."_

 _Sean fell a little more in love with her as she listened to her logic. He thinks of all the times he accused him of being "such a Donahue". He wanted to kiss her passionately in that moment and tease her for being "so Suzy-Q." She always found the positive side of everything and found joy in the littlest pleasures._

 _Instead of a passionate kiss he pulled her into a reassuring hug and snuck a peek at her budget and saw two new columns on her budget "Med School Loans" and "Our Future" and realizes it was irresponsible for him to think of "sparkling pools" and "spacious closets" when he was sitting on a substantial amount of debt and wasn't earning an income yet. They weren't just a cute couple anymore. They were two adults working together and building a future._

"It doesn't need to be expensive to be special. I am sure we put our heads together and figure something out," Mike says as he throws some bills on table and stands up.

Sean finishes his the last sip of his beer. He often wondered where Sue got her positivity and optimism. He thought it might have come from a distant relative like a great-aunt or her Grandma Heck who passed away years before she was even born. He never would have guessed it came from her dad.


End file.
